Friday, April 18, 2014

Discovered at (DAL) Checkpoint - 3 Loaded Magazines in Case, But Firearm Was Not Loaded

43Firearms Discovered This Week
– Of the 43 firearms, 41 were loaded and 13 had rounds
chambered. See a complete list and more photos at the bottom of this post.

Inert
Ordnance and Grenades etc.
– We continue to find inert hand grenades and other weaponry on a weekly basis.
Please keep in mind that if an item looks like a real bomb, grenade, mine,
etc., it is prohibited. When these items are found at a checkpoint or in
checked baggage, they can cause significant delays because the bomb squad or
explosives detection professionals must come to resolve the alarm to determine
they’re not a threat. Even if they are novelty items, you cannot bring them on
a plane. Read
here on why inert items cause problems.

Five
inert/replica/novelty grenades were discovered in carry-on bags this week. Two
were discovered in Salt Lake City (SLC), and the others were found at Baltimore
(BWI), Tampa (TPA), and Stewart (SWF).

Artfully
Concealed Prohibited Items –
It’s important to examine your bags prior to traveling to ensure prohibited
items are not inside. If a prohibited item is discovered in your bag or on your
body, you could be cited and possibly arrested by local law enforcement. Here
are a few examples from this week where prohibited items were found by our
officers in strange places.

An 8.5” knife was discovered inside
an enchilada at the Sonoma County Airport (STS). While this was a great catch,
the passenger’s intent was delicious, not malicious, and she was cleared for
travel. It’s always important to double check your bags and enchiladas.

Twelve credit card knives were discovered
this week. Four were discovered at Cincinnati (CVG), three more at Oakland
(OAK), and the remainder were discovered Branson (BBG), Charleston (CHS),
Colorado Springs (COS), Kansas City (MCI), and Shreveport (SHV). Check
out this
blog post for more information on credit card knives.

A stun gun disguised to look like a
cell phone was discovered at Las Vegas (LAS).

A knife was found concealed inside
of a camera mount at Ft. Lauderdale (FLL).

A single round of .22 caliber
ammunition was detected inside a bottle of medical cream at Miami (MIA).

Stun Guns – Nineteenstun guns were discovered this week in carry-on bags around the nation. Five
were discovered at Las Vegas (LAS), two at Dallas (DAL), two at Phoenix (PHX),
two more at Sacramento (SMF), and the remainder were discovered at Boise (BOI),
Denver (DEN), Sloulin Field (ISN), LaGuardia (LGA), Oklahoma City (OKC),
Pensacola (PNS), San Francisco (SFO), and San Jose (SJC).

Firearms
Discovered This Week in Carry-On Bags

Guns Discovered at (L-R / T-B) CVG, XNA, TLH, JFK, SBN, MSY, GSP, TUL

*In
order to provide a timely weekly update, this data is compiled from a
preliminary report. The year-end numbers will vary slightly from what is
reported in the weekly updates. However, any monthly, midyear, or end-of-year
numbers TSA provides on this blog or elsewhere will be actual numbers and not
estimates.

Unfortunately
these sorts of occurrences are all too frequent which is why we talk about
these finds. Sure, it’s great to share the things that our officers are
finding, but at the same time, each time we find a dangerous item, the line is
slowed down and a passenger that likely had no ill intent ends up with a
citation or in some cases is even arrested. The passenger can face a penalty as
high as $7,500.00. This is a friendly reminder to please leave these
items at home. Just because we find a prohibited item on an individual does not
mean they had bad intentions, that's for the law enforcement officer to decide.
In many cases, people simply forgot they had these items.

All of the items shown look like conventional metal detectors would have effectively identified the items. WTMD's cost around $20,000 while the Whole Body Strip Search Machines cost around $200,000 each.

Really??? This not an issue with the body scanner, it's an issue of people that aren't that bright. This is an issue about people that "know" the TSA policies but don't follow them. It's like speeding on purpose in front of a cop just to see if he will pull you over.

I am on the TSA's Blog email list so I get these emails every week and there are ALWAYS people that take these things through TSA checkpoints. I'm sorry but these people are either stupid and/or irresponsible, either way they should NOT be allowed to have firearms if they are taking these things through TSA checkpoints! How the hell can you say you "forgot" it was there?? Are these the same people that have loaded and "unlocked" firearms in their homes with children because they "forgot" where they put them, etc?? If they can't keep track of a DEADLY weapon then they should NOT be allowed to have them!!

You people that criticize and make jokes about this are mostly the same people that do this.

Hrm.. An AR-15 in arctic camo with a very good scope, what looks like MagPul 30 polymer magazines, packed properly in what is obviously a hard-sided weapons case. Properly packed, excluding the lock and the "declare it at the counter" bit. Considering the person was in DAL, and also considering how "smart" that airport is, I wouldn't be too surprised if:1. They actually told the check-in counter agent they hand an "item" to declare while holding onto this big weapons case.2. Said under-trained counter-agent had no idea what they were talking about and just said "That's a little big for a carry-on, but I think it will fit."3. Person approaches check-point carrying weapons case.4. TSA freaks.

I just hope the person who owned this didn't have to "surrender" what looks to be customized rifle.

Another insignificant blotter post. 12,000,000 people flew last week on 210,000 flights. Your alleged finds were only .00036% of all passengers.

We are much much more likely to encounter one of your "bad apples" and have our property lost, stolen, or damaged than be on a plane with someone with a gun. Especially since you have no proof that ANY of the people you EVER caught had plans for causing any danger on a plane.

On top of all that, over twice as many guns got through the screening area than you caught. And no planes fell out of the sky.

For those of you who are giving the TSA a hard time every week, especially you haters of this blog and their work...do you feel safer when you travel? Do you understand that not everyone is always going to be happy with the techniques and tactics being used? It's no different than parenting; we all discipline our children differently but I don't judge you or criticize you for the way you handle a situation. The TSA "just" has to keep millions of travelers inline and disciplined...no biggie. Walk in their shoes for a week or even a day and deal with the issues and situations they are left to deal with. Are they supported by our tax dollars - yes. If you don't like it...move to another country since some of you give the impression that the "grass is always greener on the other side" or drive to your destinations instead. Give them some slack, they're doing their job and potentionally saving your life in the process.

You know what I love? YOu fplks read this blog, jump all over the TSA - and yet no one seems to be alarmed by the fact that someone was trying to smuggle a knife inside an enchilada. The TSA will be around for as long as there are crazy people doing crazy things and trying to get on airplanes. Case closed.

I continue to wait for some justification for active duty military being included in pre-check, but not retired military or holders of current DoD or LE background investigations. military retirees have at least 20 years documented service to this Nation, pretty much proving their lack of risk. both DoD and LE background investigations should reveal any risk factors. active duty military do not, necessarily, have a background check or any significant length of service. neither citizenship nor a background investigation is required to enlist in the military, in fact there are likely illegal immigrants serving. if it is really about safety, then why are potentially unscreened non-citizens allowed through? sounds like it is just pandering to an admirable group to get PR, not adjusting the rules to ease screening on those who present a lower likelihood of threat.Let me be clear: pre-911 screening should be the norm. it is all that is required, now that cockpit doors have been reinforced and locked, and flight crews and passengers know that the rules have changed and passivity=death. however, if we are going to continue this massive waste of tax dollars on security theatre, at least have _some_ of the rules make sense.

Yes, but that's because I don't travel by air any more. As a result, I don't have to worry about being put through a naked body scanner, having a screener stick his hand in my underwear, or being otherwise sexually assaulted for the crime of buying an airline ticket.

Anonymous said...For those of you who are giving the TSA a hard time every week, especially you haters of this blog and their work...do you feel safer when you travel? Do you understand that not everyone is always going to be happy with the techniques and tactics being used? It's no different than parenting; we all discipline our children differently but I don't judge you or criticize you for the way you handle a situation. The TSA "just" has to keep millions of travelers inline and disciplined...no biggie. Walk in their shoes for a week or even a day and deal with the issues and situations they are left to deal with. Are they supported by our tax dollars - yes. If you don't like it...move to another country since some of you give the impression that the "grass is always greener on the other side" or drive to your destinations instead. Give them some slack, they're doing their job and potentionally saving your life in the process.

April 21, 2014 at 8:48 AM.........................

Not from anything TSA does.

It is TSA that fails to screen airport workers, you know the people working on the airplanes, the people who load the baggage and cargo, and others who have direct access to the aircraft.

What makes air travel safer is the changes that gave us locked cockpit doors and passengers who know that they have to take action if someone threatens the airplane.

Anonymous said...You know what I love? YOu fplks read this blog, jump all over the TSA - and yet no one seems to be alarmed by the fact that someone was trying to smuggle a knife inside an enchilada. The TSA will be around for as long as there are crazy people doing crazy things and trying to get on airplanes. Case closed.April 21, 2014 at 9:19 AM

“I’m gonna have to call my manager about this.” After a conversation with her manager, the woman said, “We are just going to ask you to keep your purse in your bag where it cannot be seen by other travelers. I know these are not ACTUAL guns, but they may offend some of the other people traveling.”

"You people that criticize and make jokes about this are mostly the same people that do this."

Do you have any proof to support that statement? If not, your other statements here have no credibility.

"For those of you who are giving the TSA a hard time every week ... do you feel safer when you travel?"

I feel safer when I fly because of locked cockpit doors and the modern mindset that passengers and crew will fight back. I do not feel safer because of the actions of an organization that cannot stop its employees from stealing electronics and smuggling drugs through security checkpoints, that assaults me by sticking its hands in my crotch and violating the Fourth Amendment, and that has not yet made amends for subjecting millions of travelers to medically unnecessary x-rays. (For proof, peruse earlier blog comments.) I would feel safer if said organization's funding were to be redirected to roadway safety, cancer research, etc.

Anonymous said..."You know what I love? YOu fplks read this blog, jump all over the TSA - and yet no one seems to be alarmed by the fact that someone was trying to smuggle a knife inside an enchilada. "

No, I am not alarmed, because what is a passenger going to do with a knife once he gets it on board? Not much. Certainly not successfully hijack the flight.

Although I have not heard of Chamorro enchiladas past the above recipe, I know that in my life, Chamorro has been the name of an indigenous people in the Marianas. Maybe Sergio was indicating that this particular style is popular there?